"In fact, it's simpler than we imagined, the hardest part was to find a chance when he'd left the Batmobile alone."
"So then, how did you guys pry this thing off?" Tire asked.
Jason looked at Little Sly, who spread his hands and said, "Nothing hard about it, if it wasn't for us being so young and unable to carry more tires, we could have taken all four off at once, leaving a shell for that rich guy..."
With the image of the comical situation in their minds, the kids laughed. Jason folded his arms and said, "We managed to steal it, but the problem is we can't sell it because this damned emblem is way too conspicuous!"
Tire waved his hand and said, "What's the problem? Don't you know your line of work? Just give it a paint job, isn't that simple?"
Red truck came to Tire's side and touched the object and said, "I don't think it will work. The pattern is embossed on the object and even after painting, it would still be obvious. Can't you guys grind this off?"
"I've tried, but the tools we have now won't do the job. The hardness of this metal is too high. Unless we can get some machine tools, it's not going to happen." Little Sly shook his head.
"What about breaking it apart and only selling the tire ring?" Rocket suggested.
"I can't actually break it apart." Little sly touched his temple, but Tire was surprised: "You managed to pry it off, but you can't break it apart?"
"Yes, but that's a technical issue, it's complicated, anyhow, we can't break it apart to sell now."
"That's a bit tricky." Red Truck rubbed his chin, "I know a few people who are into car modifications, they might want these tires, but you guys only have one. At least two are needed for someone to be willing to buy. Otherwise, it will just be added as a decorative piece at the back of the car. In that case, you won't get a good price."
"If you could melt it down to change it into bullets, my dad might be interested." Rocket continued, "This metal looks very sturdy, maybe it can be made into a shield."
Little Sly exhaled and said: "If I could have melted it, would I still have needed you guys?"
"My mom knows a lot of people, but I can't let this pass through her hands."
Tire patted the Batmobile tire again and said, "I really like it, I want to buy it home, but my mom is a widow, I don't want to bring unnecessary trouble to her."
Seeing that the three of them all said this, Jason couldn't help showing a disappointed expression, but Red Truck said, "Why can't you disassemble this tire or grind off the pattern? Is it purely because you're lacking skills or is it a tool issue?"
"Seems like you know quite a lot about this stuff." Little Sly walked to the workbench and said, "The tools are the main problem. Look what we have? Just rusty wrenches, awls, and pliers. The only thing that might be useful is this old jack, which is also nearly broken."
"If there were a furnace and hydraulic press, it would be much easier."
"We can try that. You guys managed to steal Batman's tires, is it difficult to get a hydraulic press?"
"It is quite difficult." Little Sly affirmed, "Don't forget, Jason and I are younger than you guys. It was already quite tough for us to carry back such a big tire. We can't really move those professional workbenches and large machines."
"That's easy. You just have to do our vocational school homework, and we will help you carry it."
Little Sly adjusted his glasses, looking helpless he said, "I've said this many times. Our teacher can tell if the handwriting is different."
"Then let us copy the answers!"
"Yes, copy the answers!" Rocket echoed, the wild-dressed girl complained, "I don't want to do the homework! But my dad insists on me doing it. He said there are teachers he can't afford to offend. What bullshit!"
"Okay, we'll do that, but we need to plan. I have a feeling that there's someone who can help us..."
Little Sly looked around at his companions and they all looked back. It was clear they were all thinking of the same name.
"Cobblepot!"
"Where is he now?" Rocket asked.
"Oh, I know, he seems to be frequently shuttling between the East District and the psychiatric hospital recently, he should pass by the main street next to us, we can just wait for him there."
With that, they all pushed open the cellar door and ran out one by one, pushing and shoving teasingly as they headed to the main street.
Just then, they heard a scream, they saw a little girl with black hair and blue eyes standing at the entrance of the alley. Everyone stopped, Jason was shocked, "Why is there a little girl here?"
Little Sly also squinted, saying, "Looking at her clothes and her style, she shouldn't be a kid from the East District, she looks like the child of the rich people in the South District."
Rocket ran over first, with others following. Rocket held the girl's shoulder and asked, "Who are you? Why are you here? Where are your mom and dad?"
"Waa!!!"
The little girl screamed out loud, everyone saw the sharp teeth in her mouth and took a few steps back, startled. Jason said, "Could her parents have abandoned her here?"
"I don't think so, look at the necklace around her neck, that seems to be a gemstone, if they really wanted to abandon her, they wouldn't have put such a valuable necklace on her..."
Jason hesitated and moved forward. He noticed that although the girl had sharp teeth and her eyes were a bit weird looking, she didn't seem to mean any harm. He patted her head, looked left and right, and said, "We need to get her out of here. If the mob patrols pass by, this little girl will be in danger."
"Really? What if her parents come looking for her, you might get into trouble. Those rich snobs are really good at turning the tables!"
Jason didn't rebut him, just jerked the necklace around the little girl's neck and stuffed it into his pocket, saying, "If they come looking for me, I'll just leave the kid where she was and let them take her. This necklace will be my payment. Anyway, I'm sure I won't lose out."
With that, Jason, struggling a bit, lifted the little girl. Rocket took the girl from him and said, "Let me do it. Let's get back to your base first. Then when we are going to find Cobblepot, we'll look around and see if there's anyone resembling her parents."
As they were walking back to the underground base, a crisp lash cracked the silence, and everybody dove back, a slender figure in black appeared at the end of the street.
Jason, who was hiding behind a building, widened his eyes and said, "Catwoman! Why is she here? Doesn't she only come out at night?"
"Who's Catwoman?" Little Sly asked him.
"The leader of the four great air thieves in the East District, a very talented thief. She's practically robbed every jewelry store in the whole of Gotham."
"Thank you, little one, for the compliment. But I'd have to ask you to put the little girl you're carrying down."
Catwoman whipped her whip again, scaring everyone back.
"Is she your daughter? No! No, that's not right! I heard you're from the East District, how would you have such a luxuriously dressed daughter? You can't possibly…"
Jason gestured behind him, saying to Rocket, "Don't put her down. Catwoman might be a human trafficker!"